Kombucha FAQ
LETS TALK KOMBUCHA
We believe there are many benefits to drinking kombucha - but let’s start with the basics. For those who have never had kombucha before, you may be wondering what it tastes like. We asked our community for the best possible descriptions when it comes to the unique taste of homemade kombucha - their answers included the words: tangy, slightly sweet, fizzy and refreshing!
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented tea-based drink. When making homemade kombucha, you can use a tea of your choice - but we recommend using black or green tea. You can also spice or flavour your kombucha by adding extra ingredients. Kombucha has a watery tan colour and can also be cloudy.
What does kombucha contain?
Kombucha contains black/green tea, sugar and symbiotic culture of acetic acid (vinegar), bacteria and yeast (scoby). Leaving the combination to ferment allows healthy bacteria and yeasts to build up - this makes kombucha a great source of beneficial probiotic bacteria.
It’s called a what?!
Yes, it’s called a scoby. A scoby is a type of tea fungus - the word is short for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It looks like slab of tan coloured jelly and develops on the contact surface where liquid meets air. With the addition of kombucha liquid, you can use a scoby to prepare your kombucha drink.
Is it really that good for you?
Kombucha is a probiotic drink which is most beneficial when made at home with the best possible ingredients.
Previous studies have suggested that kombucha has bioactive components with antioxidant and detoxifying effects. They have also shown antimicrobial properties because of the low pH - this is also impacted by the natural polyphenols in tea, bacteriocins and protein structures. Many claim that kombucha has a beneficial effect on overall immunity and that the probiotics in kombucha aid with gut health and general well-being. Kombucha could have a positive influences on obesity, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, anaemia, pulmonary disease, antioxidant capabilities and cancer prevention.
Kombucha is known for its energising and detoxifying properties.
*As kombucha is a result of natural fermentation, poor hygiene could lead to contamination.
FAQs
What on earth is a scoby?!
A scoby is: Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and yeast. It is gelatinous and formed where liquid meets air. It is also known as the kombucha mother.
What do I need to make Kombucha at home?
Making kombucha at home is easy, find out how with our Kefirko kombucha Starter Kit. You’ll also need tea, water and sugar.
What type of jar is best for fermenting kombucha?
Glass is ideal for fermenting kombucha as it will not react with the acid in kombucha. Check out our glass kombucha fermenter.
How do I make kombucha?
Ingredients for 1 l kombucha:
- 2 bags of tea (2 tsp tea leaves)
- 50g sugar
- 900 ml water
- 100 ml kombucha starter or SCOBY and 100 ml kombucha from previous batch
Directions:
- Boil one cup of water and put in 2 tea bags or 2 tsp of tea leaves. Leave for 5 minutes then take out the leaves or tea bags.
- Cool down your liquid and stir in 50g of sugar.
- Pour into your glass jar and dilute with remaining water.
- Add starter or 0,1 l of kombucha from previous batch and SCOBY.
- Leave to ferment as per manufacturer instructions, 7-14 days.
How long does it take for kombucha to ferment?
It takes 7-14 days for kombucha to ferment - but it is well worth the wait!
What type of tea should I use and how much do I need?
You may want to make 1l of kombucha but that doesn’t mean you need to brew 1 litre of tea - small amount of tea then dillute it with water. This will also help you to cool it off faster.
The tea has to be a lot stronger than you would usually make and if you make even more (2l or 4l) of kombucha you have to adjust the quantities of the tea also. We recommend using black or green tea.
What kind of sugar can I use and can I use honey or sweeteners (like Stevia) instead?
You can use a number of different sugars and even honey to prepare kombucha. Unfortunately, you cannot use sweeteners as the microbes in kombucha need sugar to ferment.
Can I leave my kombucha in the fridge to ferment - if not what is the ideal temperature?
The recommended temperature for making kombucha is between 21 and 25 degrees (C). Lower temperatures will slow down the fermentation and higher temperatures will speed it up.
I don’t have a scoby, what do I do?
You can prepare your first batch of kombucha using the kombucha starter liquid. Starter kombucha is actually kombucha that was fermenting a bit longer and is very sour. Basically, it’s not good to drink anymore but the acidity is just perfect to make a new batch of kombucha with it. During fermentation SCOBY will start to form on the surface of the liquid. This usually happens time after day 7 of fermentation. After fermentation is finished you will preserve part of the kombucha drink and the newly formed SCOBY to use it for the next batch of kombucha.